Seminar in Delhi on Gorkhaland

PR, KalimNews, Kalimpong: The demand of Gorkhaland is a national issue and to support the demand support from all corners is necessary. To influence the public opinion and mould views of the political class as well as executive on the issue of separate state of Gorkhaland comprising Darjeeling and surrounding areas, Delhi foundation is organising a seminar on Gorkhaland and the demand for smaller states on September 22nd 2013 at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Auditorium, Teen Murti House. 

The initiative of Delhi foundation is regarded as the first seminar in Delhi that will have national leaders speaking on the issue of Gorkhaland. 

Congress Rajya Sabha member Mani Shankar Aiyar, Darjeeling MP and former union minister Jaswant Singh, former minister of state and Lok Sabha member Ajay Maken, former union Home Secretary RK Singh, TRS politburo member and former Lok Sabha member Vinod Kumar and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha spokesperson and MLA Harka Bahadur Chettri are the speakers of the seminar. 

Senior journalist Swaraj Thapa will moderate the seminar and the interactive session. 

The second session on the issue of Indian Gorkha identity will have speakers like cinematographer Binod Pradhan (Director of photography of "Bhag Milkha Bhag" and "Rang De Basanti"), former Indian hockey team captain Bharat Chhetri, author Prajwal Parajuly author of “The Gurkha's daughter”), Sonam Sherpa, lead guitarist of "Parikrama" and senior journalist Joel Rai. 

Mani Shankar Aiyar, a votary of decentralisation of power through panchayati raj, has also supported the concept of smaller states. Ajay Maken, on the other hand, headed the tripartite talks at the political level as a minister of state handling the home portfolio, before he was promoted as union minister. 

Former home secretary RK Singh also has an understanding of the Gorkhaland issue as it was under his watch as home secretary that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was set up. 

Ranjan Sharma , Media Coordinator of Darjeeling Foundation says that the basic objective of the foundation is to clear misconceptions relating to Gorkhaland issue through seminars, public discussion, debate, research and publications. It also want to reach out to the masses all over the country and educate them on the issue and genuineness of the cause of Gorkhaland. The seminar will be held from 10 am till 4.30 pm. 

The seminar is organised by the Darjeeling Foundation, a think tank initiated by Swaraj Thapa and a few other like minded individuals in Delhi. It is supported by intellectuals, academics, public figures and business leaders from Darjeeling as well as other parts of the country. It is conceived as a private, not for profit body to influence public opinion and mould views of the political class as well as executive on the issue of separate state of Gorkhaland comprising Darjeeling and surrounding areas.